Since 2006, Alan J. Mathis has served as the President and CEO of Liberation Programs, one of Connecticut’s leading nonprofits providing prevention, education and treatment services for persons with substance abuse disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Under Mr. Mathis’ leadership, the agency has increased the number of people served by 38%, reduced wait times for treatment, and expanded access to wraparound social services to include a transitional employment program, and increased access to primary medical care through partnerships with community health centers.

Working with the Board of Directors, the agency developed an 18-unit permanent supportive housing complex in Norwalk for women and their children. This also included renovation of a 7,000 square foot space for Liberation’s inpatient program for pregnant and parenting women. Mr. Mathis transformed Liberation into an organization that provides evidenced-based, targeted care for the 1,200 individuals seen every day while strengthening the agency’s business practices and management.

Mr. Mathis is a frequent speaker in the community. He is currently chairing Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling’s Affordable Housing Committee.

Prior to joining Liberation Programs, Mr. Mathis served as President and CEO at the Lower Eastside Service Center providing housing, primary medical, addiction and mental health services in NYC and served on NYC’s Mental Health and Hygiene Policy Advisory Board under Dr. Thomas Frieden, the current Director of the nation’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He holds a Master’s of Science in Public Policy and Management from the Averall Harriman College at the University of NY at Stony Brook. As a Sloan Fellow, he studied public policy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota.